The dynamics of taking turns in social conversations play a crucial role in coordinating speech and gestures, which helps discussions flow smoothly, according to a recent study.
A study published on September 25, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Tifenn Fauviaux and team from the University of Montpellier, France, emphasizes the significance of turn-taking dynamics in social interactions for the synchronization of speech and gestures, allowing conversations to run efficiently.
Conversations involve constant exchanges of both spoken and physical cues. While earlier studies have shown that gestures and speech coordinate at the individual level, there has been limited exploration into how this synchronization occurs between different individuals.
To address this gap, Fauviaux and their team examined an online dataset comprising 14 sessions of two people engaged in spontaneous face-to-face discussions on various topics. Each session featured between one and four conversations lasting from 7 to 15 minutes. They analyzed audio and motion data to assess the synchronization of speech and gestures across various timescales, investigating vocal features via speech amplitude and gesture dynamics through head and wrist movements.
The findings confirmed earlier conclusions regarding the coordination of speech and gestures at the individual level. Specifically, they observed that there was a significant degree of synchronization not only between a participant’s wrist and head movements but also between these movements and vocal features across all timescales of the conversation.
Additionally, the researchers uncovered that the synchronization of gestures and speech also occurs between individuals, indicating a coordination of both spoken words and physical actions between the two speakers. Overall, these results suggest that this synchronization of verbal and nonverbal cues likely relies on the dynamics of turn-taking in conversations.
The authors believe this research enhances our understanding of behavioral interactions during social exchanges at both the personal and interpersonal levels, underscoring the importance of synchrony between speech and gestures. Future studies building on this work may provide insights into prosocial behaviors and mental health issues characterized by social impairments.
The authors state: “How do my speech and actions affect, or react to, the speech and actions of the person I’m talking to? This study tackles this question by exploring the dynamic interaction between speech and movements at both the individual and dyadic levels. Our results affirm intrapersonal coordination of speech and gestures across various temporal scales. It also indicates that the synchronization between modalities and individuals may be shaped by the speech channel, particularly the structure of turn-taking.”
